Nothing can be the most useful thing, unlike the useless landscape sung by Tom Jobim. And nothingness, at the same time, is appalling in a city that is everything. Rio de Janeiro, despite the militia, despite the chaos, despite the incandescent 40 degrees that sometimes haunt this sea and this sand, remains beautiful, continues to be the screen saver that defines Brazilianness, a delight, a scandal.
The ups and downs, so high and so low, have been destroying Brazil for a long time. Rio has lived through countless peaks and suffered countless horrendous crises. But everything is forgiven, although it is difficult to digest. I can’t understand such looting, but, okay, we’re talking about hedonism here.
The country’s postcard city that inhabited the cosmopolitan imagination for so long as a tropical idyll par excellence has seen better days, and the service is not even mentioned. Things here are black, as Chico Buarque would say before the cancellations that are rife, and with very good reason.
However, those who wish to see this city from above, as it deserves, comme il faut, as the ancients would say, can still find in the spa in the shadow of Corcovado a series of hotels that are worth the trip, although they weigh on the impoverished pocket of the traveler with inflation and the dollar and everything else skyrocketing — to see if a new government can smooth things over.
Fasano, at ground zero on Vieira Souto, in Ipanema, is unbeatable. The best service, the best care for guests, cutting-edge cuisine and a top-notch bar. The view from Dois Irmãos hill is as alien as the purgatory of beauty and chaos.
But Ipanema isn’t the only home of this once-wonderful city, although one somewhat out-of-the-way hotel, Praia Ipanema, still offers a homey experience on the beach of Brazil’s most famous girl. The view is breathtaking, the rest, from the door inwards, not so much.
But even on a cloudy day, the balcony overlooking the sea is a refuge for those who just want a glass of wine facing the waves, those who chart new routes while immersing themselves in the sweetness of alcohol.
On the neighboring beach, the Hilton de Copacabana, even if disputed by crowds, has a rooftop, as the terraces are now called, more pleasant. The pool is good, with an infinity edge and a view of Pedra do Leme, and a very attentive service.
Prices, as is often the case in Rio, are as high as the 39 floors of the hotel tower. But the view is worth it. You can even feel from above, in the middle of spring, that winter in Leblon can be almost glacial, although we know that Adriana Calcanhotto maybe just wanted a good rhyme and not a very accurate weather forecast.
Further to the south zone number two, as the real estate agents pointed out, Yoo2, on Botafogo beach, has a lot of potential. The view from Sugarloaf Mountain, with the sailboats floating on the less inviting beach for a swim, is its biggest attraction.
The bar, however, is sad — the price is there on the 17th floor, the top floor, and the service is in the basement. The pool also leaves something to be desired, overlooking the neighborhood and not the most emblematic landscape of Rio.
But let’s forget the classics. Rio for adventurers, or for those with less patience and more desire for peace and quiet, is right there. The name is a swear word. It’s the so-called MGallery, which could be any business, but the mansion at the top of Santa Teresa is a spectacle in itself.
The swimming pool has a panoramic view of the city centre, Lapa and Glória in all their splendour.
The climate is of absolute peace, few people, little noise. It is worth taking advantage of the proximity to Cosme Velho and the stunning Casa Roberto Marinho to soak up a bit of culture, which is now so much the order of the day after so much barbarism. Going up and down the neighborhood is tricky, but it’s worth it.
Further on, a charming but very practical zero stop is the Novotel Porto Atlântico, in Santo Cristo. From the top of its rooftop protected by strange smoked glass in the most cinematic city in the world, there is a small swimming pool. It’s not worth wasting too much time on it, but it’s on the edge of the Rio-Niterói bridge.
Anyone who wants to cross Guanabara to see the old Museum of Contemporary Art, Niemeyer’s flying saucer in the neighboring city, is in the right place.
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
